Sealing of seamed rubber articles



April 1943- J. M. AUZlN' 2,315,576

SEALING 0F SEAMED RUBBER ARTICLES Filed July-25, 194m" 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY April '6, 1943. J. M. AUZIN SEALING OF SEAMED RUBBER ARTICLES Filed July 25, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR J 1% ATTORN EY Patented Apr. 6, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,315,576 SEALING F SEAMED RUBBER ARTICLES John M. Auzin, Warwick, R. I., assignor to Davol Rubber Company,

a corporation of Rhode Island Application July 25, 1940, Serial No. 347,379 1 Claim. (Cl. 154 42) My present invention relates to the manufac possible weak spots in the finished article. To ture of seamed rubber articles and has parcorrect this difiiculty, I have devised a novel aptus of making the same.

The principal object of the present invention is the construction of hollow rubber articles having smooth internal seams.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel method and apparatus for closduring the construction of hollow rubber articles.

Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the dipping tank;

Fig. 7 is a section thereof taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a detail view showing the bag being dipped in the clipping tank;

Fig. 9 is a section on line 99 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is an end view of the closed seamed bag; and

Fig. 11 is an enlarged section on line l0l0 of of a patient.

Referring to the drawings illustrating my invention, the bag 20 comprises a substantially rectangular hollow ba portion 2| having adjazontal arm bottom of the tank 2 operator. means to permit flow of performed as The operator holds the bag 20 with the slot- 24 over the plate 2'! and allows the bag 20 to slide over the top edge of the plate 21, as shown in Fig. 8. The bag is dipped downwardly into the latex 3i until the edge of th bag and the slot 24 are completely immersed. The bag may now be slightly shaken or twisted by the operator, the plate 27 holding the slot 24 open and permitting the latex to flow into the bag. The flow of the latex into the bag through the slot 24 is aided by the cut-out portions 30 in the plate 21, these cut-out portions insuring flow of latex within the bag.

The bag, 20 is now removed from the dipping tank and from the plate 21, the inherent resiliency of the rubber tending to close the slot 24. The latex inside the bag adheres to the inner surface of the slot 24. as illustrated at 32 in Fig. 11, and flows down by gravity to form an inner smooth seal at the lip 25 of the bag; the outer latex forms an outer coating 33. and the slot 24 is thus completely sealed. The scaling may be strengthened by further dip-pin; in the latex to build up the outer coat The resultant bag thus provided with a seam 24 which is completely smoothly sealed from the inside and the outside of the bag, with no weak point which may burst under the air pressure when the bag is in use.

I have therefore provided a novel dipping tank and a novel method of sealing the seam on a rubber article so that a combined inner and outer seal are provided to completely close the opening. The resultant seam is thus a smooth finished seam and a complete seal both on the inside and the outside provides a strong construction for insuring longer life to the bag. The above described procedure may be applied to the formation of finished seams for any hollow rubber article. by suitable changes in the apparatus used such as may readily be devised by any skilled mechanic.

While I have described a specific constructional embodiment of my invention and a specific method and apparatus. it is obvious that changes in the manner of forming the hollow article, in the materials used, in the arrangement. of parts. and in the means for spreading the opening to be seamed and for supplying latex to the interior of the seam, may be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

The method of forming a finished scam in hollow rubber articles having open seam edges. comprising the steps of dipping the open seam edges in rubber solution while holding the seam edges sufiiciently distended to permit flow of rubber solution into and around th seam, and then withdrawing the edges from the rubber solution and permitting the open seam edges to close, whereby gravity flow of the rubber solution pro vides a smooth finish on both the interior and the exterior of the seam.

JOHN M. AUZINv 

